Organic Rose Care the Michael Marriott Way: Soil, Simplicity, and Letting Nature Lead
After more than three decades working with David Austin Roses, Michael Marriott has become the world’s most prominent and respected experts in rose cultivation but his his approach to growing roses successfully is radically simple… and it’s organic!
Forget sprays, complicated feeding regimes, and fussy pruning techniques. His philosophy centres on soil health, plant choice, and ecological balance.
As he puts it “Choosing the right variety is absolutely crucial to having successful roses in your garden.”
Here are the core principles behind his organic approach.
1. Start With the Right Roses (Not Chemicals)
Marriott believes most rose problems begin before you even plant. Many gardeners struggle because they unknowingly choose varieties prone to disease. “There’s thousands of varieties on the market. Some are absolute dogs and will get disease at the drop of a hat.” Instead of trying to “fix” weak plants with sprays, his organic philosophy is simple:
Choose naturally healthy and pest resistant varieties from the start.
He advises gardeners to:
Research carefully
Listen to growers who garden without spraying
Prioritise health alongside beauty and fragrance
This is the foundation of organic rose growing: prevention rather than treatment.
2. Soil Is Everything
If there’s one principle Marriott returns to again and again, it’s this: “Soil is absolutely central to growing plants. It’s not just roses, all plants need good soil.” His philosophy mirrors modern regenerative gardening: treat soil as a living ecosystem. He compares soil health to human gut health: “It’s exactly the same as our gut flora if you abuse the soil… plants will not grow so well.”
Key organic soil principles he emphasises:
✔ Encourage soil life
Avoid chemical NPK fertilisers
Protect microbes, fungi, worms, and insects by applying organic matter.
✔ Avoid compaction
Don’t tread on wet soils
reduce soil treading when pruning by picking a single spot to prune from if possible
Maintain structure through the addition organic matter
✔ Feed soil, not plants
Top dress soil with Compost, well rotted manure and other organic matter like arborist mulch
3. Mulch Is the Organic Gardener’s Superpower
Natural wood chip Mulch
Marriott calls mulching one of the most important techniques for rose health. “One of the best ways of looking after your soil is a really good layer of mulch.”
A thick mulch layer:
Retains moisture
Prevents compaction
Feeds soil organisms as it breaks down
Improves soil structure naturally
He recommends generous depth of 7–10 cm (3–4 inches) of organic mulch like wood chips. died mulches that often come in bags is not ideal as it has been chemically treated. Your best option is a pile of arborist or tree surgeon mulch.
4. Avoid Monocultures
One of his most strongly held organic principles is about plant diversity. Michael warns that traditional rose beds, rows of roses planted together are fundamentally unhealthy systems. “Rose gardens can be very beautiful, but every monoculture is a complete disaster.”
Instead, he encourages gardeners to mix roses with:
Perennials
Annual flowers
Wildlife-supporting plants
This creates resilience, supports beneficial insects, and reduces pest problems naturally.
5. Stop Fighting Nature (Especially Aphids)
Perhaps the most surprising part of Marriott’s philosophy is his relaxed attitude to pests. He sees insects as part of a healthy ecosystem. “You see aphids on your roses and say, ‘Oh yeah, great.’”
Why? - “The more you try to control it, the more you’re wrecking that balance.”
Because pests are food for predators like:
Birds
Ladybirds
Lacewings
In all forms of organic gardening, patience replaces intervention.
6. Don’t Overfeed
A common mistake, according to Marriott, is excessive fertiliser use.
Overfeeding leads to:
Weak growth
Soil imbalance
Reduced microbial life
Instead, healthy soil and mulch provide slow, balanced nutrition naturally. He does however qualify this by saying that from time to time it can be good to feed with natural fertilisers like dried blood.
The Core Philosophy: Work With Nature
At its heart, Marriott’s organic rose care philosophy is simple: Healthy roses don’t come from products, they come from healthy ecosystems. “The longer you leave it, the better it gets… next year it’ll be fine.”
It’s a long-term mindset:
Build soil health
Encourage biodiversity
Trust natural balance
And when you do, roses largely take care of themselves.
🎧 Michael Marriott explores his philosophy on growing r oses organically in depth in his recent appearance on The Gardener’s Lodge Podcast